Why did the lord rebel

Chapter 3 To Alice
……

In Alice Comstock's memory, the sun at Eagle's End was always so bright.

Eagle's End is the capital of the Duchy of Igor.

Every afternoon, when the sun is at its best, the sea breeze blows from the sea of ​​salt in the west, so the air in Eagle's End is filled with a salty smell.

At this time, ten-year-old Alice will stick out her tongue and lick her lips.

Salty, like the bacon jerky made by the lord's wife.

Cured Jerky.Alice muttered something in her heart, and then clenched the hilt of the ebony dagger with two small hands, and slashed straight down with a "huh"—

The tip of the sword smashed into the ground of the Eagle's Rest Fort training ground, splashing a cloud of dust.

The Duchy of Igor is located on the sea of ​​salt, so there is always no shortage of salt.

This has also led to the tradition of salting bacon jerky in almost every household here.

But in the same way, every household knows that in the entire Duchy of Igor, only the distinguished Duchess Igor can make the best cured meat.

The Duchess, this noble lady from the east of the empire, has been married to the Igor family for 20 years.

For the past 20 years, every year she would pickle a bundle of bacon jerky with her own hands, then cut it into small pieces with a silver knife only found in the Imperial Palace on New Year's Eve, and distributed it to the soldiers of the Eagle's Rest garrison as a reward.

It is said that there was once a soldier who left his piece of cured meat uneaten, and then turned around and sold it for three silver coins on the black market of the duchy - people in the whole territory, who doesn't want to taste that beautiful duchess What about hand-made bacon jerky?

Eagle's End Garrison.Thinking about this term, Alice swung her sword again, making a huge hole in the scarecrow next to her.

——If you can join the garrison, you will be able to eat the Duchess’s cured meat every year!

The Duchess' jerky, Alice had only eaten once, on New Year's Eve a year ago, when she was nine.

As the deputy captain of the Eagle's End Guards, his father was on duty in the castle that night, so he made an exception to bring Alice into the castle unattended.

When the guards were eating the New Year's meal together, the beautiful Duchess found the little girl hiding in the corner, so she cut an extra piece of bacon jerky and asked her younger son to hand it to Alice.

At that time, Alice was completely dazzled by the magnificence of the castle and the beauty of the Duchess, and she failed to give the Duchess a salute as her father had taught her, but just stood there dumbfounded, letting the black haired The little boy shoved a piece of cured meat into her hand.

After that, little Alice had completely forgotten how she was brought home by her father, but she remembered the taste of that piece of bacon jerky very well.

On the second day of the new year, she asked her father how she could become a soldier in Eagle's End like him.

"Just practice more swords." Father replied perfunctorily, busy drinking.

So, just practice the sword.Thinking so, Alice flew out a sword again in the afternoon sea breeze of Eagle's End Fortress, and completely cut off the scarecrow's head.

There was laughter from the soldiers in the distance—someone seemed to have lost a bet.

Alice Comstock didn't care.The little blond girl was wielding a wooden sword in the martial arts field. Behind her, the majestic Eagle's Rest Fort shone in the sunlight of the western border of the empire.

……

"Alice Comstock, welcome to the Duchy of Igor's Guard," said his father dryly, with no joy on his face.

In the guard lounge of Eagle's Rest Castle, 17-year-old Alice Comstock was wearing a standard leather armor, holding a sword and answering loudly:
"Yes, Captain Comstock!"

The father, who is nearly fifty years old, brushed off his captain's armband, and his expression became even more helpless.

"If your mother knew I allowed you to do this, she would have killed me," he muttered.

"Report to Captain, I will work hard!" Alice puffed out her chest again, her voice even louder.

Father rolled his eyes:
"Originally, according to tradition, our guards do not recruit women, but you are lucky, the duchess just needs a personal guard recently."

Duchess!Alice felt a suffocating joy come over her, the beautiful Duchess!

"Alice, I warn you, the rules of Eagle's Rest are very strict." Father took out the flagon from his waist, gulped down a sip, and said with his mouth curled up, "From today onwards, you will be Madam's exclusive guard. You must obey the Duchess unconditionally, and you are not allowed to disobey her orders! Remember, you are only 17 years old, and you are a girl, if you make any mistakes, I, the father, will be in trouble!"

"Yes!" Alice answered loudly.

There was a commotion not far away, Alice and her father turned their heads to look, only to see a handsome black-haired boy walking past the door surrounded by the crowd, and then disappeared.

Alice felt that the boy looked a little familiar.

"That's the youngest son of the Duke, his name is Eliot." The father took another sip of wine. "He is a child with a talent for magic. He has been studying at the Mage Academy in Xuecheng. This time he came back from vacation. It seems that he will have to stay for two days. Let's go - the rules of the old men in the Mage Academy are very rigid."

Alice said "oh", not taking her father's words to heart—this little girl's heart was completely filled with the joy of being able to serve the Duchess.

"Hello." Dad called her.

"What's wrong?" Alice looked at her father in confusion.

Father grasped the jug, licked his lips, and then whispered after a long time:
"Well done at the sword competition. Your mother would be proud of you."

……

Alice Comstock, 21, stood in place, leaning on the hilt of her sword, in ornate fringed armor.

In the bright sunlight of Eagle's End, she felt dizzy.

Not far away, the imperial envoy wearing a lion-patterned satin robe, surrounded by a group of regular imperial troops, read aloud the emperor's will on the sheepskin scroll:
"...It is now found that Duke Vincent Igor plotted a rebellion, and the crime is beyond forgiveness. He has been beheaded in the imperial capital! The former Duchess of Anna Igor is suspected of being complicit, and the arrest is granted, pending the official interrogation of the empire!"

The beautiful Duchess Anna Igor knelt before the imperial envoy, her long purple dress stained with tears.Alice gritted her teeth and saw that Madam was pulling the trouser legs of the abominable imperial envoy and asked:

"My lord, my lord... What about Elliott? What about my Elliott?"

The imperial envoy gave her a contemptuous glance, then stretched out his legs and kicked the Duchess to the ground with his delicate cowhide boots.

At that moment, Alice almost wanted to draw out her long sword and cut this bastard for the lady.

"His Majesty the Emperor has an order:" The imperial envoy obviously did not notice Alice's hateful gaze, he raised the scroll arrogantly and declared loudly, "Vincent Igor's son - Eliot Igor is in the academy. , did not participate in the rebellion, His Majesty the Emperor ordered him to inherit all the titles and territories of his father!"

Hearing that her son was safe, Duchess Anna Igor's pale face suddenly returned to blood.She no longer cried or begged, but silently let the imperial soldiers put herself into the prison car; before getting into the car, she gave Alice an apologetic, tender smile from a distance.

The imperial envoy and the brigade of imperial soldiers took the prison cart and left Eagle's Rest Fort arrogantly.

Eagle's End Guard Captain Alice Comstock let go of the hilt of her sword, held it tightly again, and turned her head to look north.

That's the direction of the Academy and the Mage Academy.

……

"Sister Alice, over there with Lord Elliot!" Anjie shouted piercingly.

Alice cut down a zombie with force, followed Anjie's instructions, and then saw the carriage of Lord Elliot Igor, and the rolling corpses that followed closely after him - Master Laurie shivered on his knees. On the top of the carriage, his hands gleamed, as if he was preparing some magic to fight zombies, but it was too late-

Without any hesitation, Alice turned around, exerted her strength, and rushed towards the tide of corpses under the astonished gaze of Master Laurie.

For the first time in her life, Alice closed her eyes during the battle.She recalled the Duchess's face, and felt a salty taste in her mouth - was it the smell of blood, or the smell of the Lady's bacon, or the ever-salty sea breeze of Eagle's End?
Alice Comstock didn't get an answer.

……

In the darkness, a voice said:
"That kid wants to bring you back to life."

That kid?Alice Comstock was a little confused: "...Who?"

"Who else could it be?" The voice seemed a little unhappy, "Your esteemed lord."

Lord Lord?Alice Comstock first thought of the former lord Vincent Igor, but then, what appeared in her mind was a black-haired child named Elliot.

"Okay!" The female swordsman felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she still smiled happily, "Then send me back!"

……

In the brilliance of the resurrection technique, Alice Comstock saw the black-haired young nobleman again.Lying on the sheepskin felt where the corpse was parked, she stared blankly at her lord, and suddenly laughed softly involuntarily:

"Lord Elliot, I... crave bacon jerky."

(End of this chapter)